Distributed Systems

Build. Deploy. Scale. Connect.

Cloud-Based Distributed Systems Development and Deployment
Digital Skills Academy | Kabarak University

Course instructor: Prof Simon M Karume

Programme Overview

Distributed Systems is a practical, project-based course designed to equip students with the knowledge and hands-on skills required to design, develop, deploy, and manage distributed computing systems in modern cloud environments. The course introduces learners to the principles of distributed computing, cloud-native architectures, distributed storage, and scalable service deployment using industry-standard tools and platforms.

Students progressively build distributed applications using client-server architectures, Python Flask, MySQL, Docker, distributed messaging systems, and cloud deployment technologies. The course combines theoretical foundations with guided practical activities and collaborative cloud-based development workflows.

What You Will Learn

Participants will gain practical experience in:

• Distributed systems architecture
• Client/server computing models
• Distributed file systems (DFS)
• Cloud-native application deployment
• Docker containerization
• Cloud hosting and infrastructure deployment
• Resource virtualization and cloud networking
• Inter-process communication and messaging systems
• Distributed algorithms and coordination techniques
• Scalable cloud storage and deployment workflows

Practical Technologies and Platforms

Students engage with modern development and deployment tools, including:

• Python Flask
• Docker
• MySQL and MongoDB
• RabbitMQ
• gRPC
• GitHub collaborative workflows
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Cloud-based virtual machines and storage services

The course emphasizes hands-on deployment and management of distributed applications within real cloud environments.

Industry Tools Used (Illustrative)

Students interact with industry-standard technologies and cloud ecosystems, including but not limited to:

• Google Cloud
• Amazon Web Services
• Microsoft Azure
• Oracle Corporation (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure)
• Docker and containerization technologies
• RabbitMQ distributed messaging systems
• gRPC distributed communication frameworks

Cloud Deployment and Distributed Storage

The course provides guided practical experience in:

• Deploying distributed systems on Google Cloud Platform
• Configuring distributed storage using Google Cloud Storage (GCS)
• Managing Docker containers and cloud images
• Using Google Container Registry (GCR)
• Provisioning and managing virtual machines
• Hosting cloud-native distributed applications

Students build and deploy scalable distributed systems within supervised cloud computing environments.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, students will be able to:

• Design and implement distributed computing solutions
• Develop and deploy cloud-native applications
• Configure distributed storage and file systems
• Apply containerization and virtualization techniques
• Implement distributed communication models
• Utilize cloud platforms for scalable deployment
• Analyse distributed system architectures and resource management approaches

Mode of Delivery

• Guided practical workshops
• Cloud-based deployment labs
• Virtual and hybrid learning sessions
• Collaborative project development
• Instructor-led demonstrations and exercises

The programme follows a project-based approach where students progressively build and deploy distributed systems from development through cloud deployment.

Recommended Participants

This programme is suitable for students and practitioners in:

• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Information Technology
• Data Science
• Cloud Computing
• Cybersecurity and Distributed Computing

>> Enrol in Distributed Systems

Gain practical experience in cloud-native distributed computing, deployment, and scalable systems engineering.